SummerInstitute07

A Teacher Is…

Aware of the following truths about teaching and schools –

1. Students respond to warmth and kindness.
2. Students are more open to learning if they know that you genuinely care about them, and that you genuinely want them to learn.
3. Excitement about learning is contagious; if I am excited about a subject, most students will be too.
4. Staff and resources at most schools are limited.
5. Schools have the most poorly “maintained” copiers.  I have two words for the school administrators:  Maintenance Contracts!
6. Xerox/copier paper is guarded by teachers better than the gold at Fort Knox.
7. Teaching, to me, is not a job, it is a JOY!
8. When you see that “gotcha” look on a student’s face when they finally grasp what you have been trying to get across – that look, that moment is priceless.
9. To want to be able to inspire students is not optional, it should be imperative.
10. Teachers who “phone it in” do not belong in the classroom.
11. Teachers as friends are the BEST!
12. Keep parents in the loop; keep them informed.
13. If the school’s cooks are great, let them know!  If they’re not, pray for them.
14. Kids, for the most part, look at a 3 or 5 day suspension from school as a vacation.
15. The acerbic comedian Dennis Miller said, “Teachers should be paid the salaries of lawyers, and lawyers should be paid the salaries of teachers.”